Gentle Hand - Doula & Family Services

Gentle Hand - Doula & Family Services Christian Birth & Postpartum Doula

Sometimes, as labour draws near, there is an emotional surrender that needs to happen too. You will always have another ...
09/17/2026

Sometimes, as labour draws near, there is an emotional surrender that needs to happen too. You will always have another thing on your to-do list, you may never feel completely prepared, and there may still be fear of the unknown. How will I handle the contractions? What if I lose control, look silly, p**p, or need a C-section? What if my birth looks different from everything I imagined?

You may be 38, 39, 40, or 41 weeks pregnant. Your body may be showing signs of readiness, and your baby may be low and beautifully positioned, but your heart and mind may still be holding on. Sometimes, something needs to soften within you. You give yourself permission to let go and trust your body, your baby, your birth team, and, most importantly, God. You can advocate for the birth you desire while remaining open to the possibility that your baby’s story may unfold differently. Different does not mean you failed.

Think about the comfort of your partner holding your hand and reminding you that you are safe. Think about your doula, you trust her, her presence gives you confidence, and you know you can lean on her. You have prepared, you are supported, you are deeply loved, and you are allowed to surrender. Take a deep breath, Mama. Open your hands, release what you cannot control, and give your body permission to begin the journey toward meeting one of the greatest loves of your life. You are ready! 💗💗

Rest. Good food. Practical support.These are three pillars of a smoother postpartum season and they’re worth planning fo...
09/15/2026

Rest. Good food. Practical support.

These are three pillars of a smoother postpartum season and they’re worth planning for before the baby arrives.
Nearly 1 in 4 Canadian mothers report symptoms consistent with postpartum depression or anxiety. New mothers need support, not pressure to do everything alone.

Plan ahead:

• Freeze meals or arrange meal support.
• Keep easy, nourishing foods and water nearby.
• Decide who can help with laundry, dishes, and baby care.
• Create a plan for rest and sleep.
• Identify trusted people to call when you feel overwhelmed.

A warm meal says, “You don’t have to do everything today.”

Practical help says, “You were never meant to carry this alone.”

Sleep says, “Your recovery matters too.” Postpartum planning is super important! Future you will be grateful, and you deserve to feel cared for as you care for your baby.

“I have a midwife, do I still need a doula?”Midwives and doulas have different, beautifully complementary roles. Your mi...
09/11/2026

“I have a midwife, do I still need a doula?”

Midwives and doulas have different, beautifully complementary roles. Your midwife is your medical care provider. She monitors you and your baby, assesses labour, makes clinical decisions and safely delivers your baby.

As your doula, my focus is continuous emotional, physical and practical support. While your midwife attends to the medical side of birth, I stay close, helping you breathe, cope and feel safe throughout labour. I use rebozo techniques to encourage relaxation, release tension and create space in the pelvis. I also guide frequent position changes based on your baby’s position and how labour is progressing. Many times, we work as a team as we figured it out how to get your baby to descend into the pelvis. We may use movement, the peanut ball, side-lying release, inversions, hip squeezes or other hands-on comfort measures to help your baby rotate and descend.

I support your partner, help you understand your options and remind you of your preferences when labour feels overwhelming. Your midwife cares for the clinical side of birth. Your doula cares for your comfort, confidence and experience.

So, do you need both? That decision is yours but together, a midwife and doula can make a wonderful birth team. We are so blessed in Central Alberta to have wonderful midwives! 💗 Here’s a picture of me and Midwife Lisa! 💗

A C-section is a surgical birth, but that doesn’t mean we can’t support as much normal birth physiology as possible.Skin...
09/09/2026

A C-section is a surgical birth, but that doesn’t mean we can’t support as much normal birth physiology as possible.

Skin-to-skin isn’t just a sweet first photo. Baby’s warmth, touch, smell, rooting and suckling send signals to your brain that support the release of oxytocin, the hormone involved in bonding, uterine contractions and the milk let-down reflex. This is why I encourage dads and partners to advocate for skin-to-skin right there in the OR, whenever mom and baby are medically stable. Help protect that space. Help baby stay close to mom.

And once we’re in recovery? That’s one of the reasons I’m going to ask to be there. While your medical team is focused on making sure you are safe and stable, I can focus on helping get baby onto your chest, protecting uninterrupted skin-to-skin, watching for early feeding cues, and supporting the initiation of breastfeeding when you and baby are ready.

When circumstances allow, we can make a C-section as physiological, connected and family-centred as possible.
Baby on your chest. Mom supported. Dad advocating. Medical team keeping you safe. And those first moments protected. 🤍

Happy Labour Day to the women who have taken the word LABOUR very, very literally. 😂As a doula, I’d like to recognize to...
09/07/2026

Happy Labour Day to the women who have taken the word LABOUR very, very literally. 😂

As a doula, I’d like to recognize today’s REAL workforce:

EARLY LABOUR
Mom: “Was that a contraction?”
opens contraction timer
Me: “Eat. Hydrate. GO TO BED.”
Mom: sends me 37 screenshots anyway.

ACTIVE LABOUR
Mom is naked. Nobody knows when that happened.
Dad is holding the water bottle like his family’s future depends on it. I’m doing hip squeezes hard enough to count as my workout. Someone is puking. Someone is praying. Nobody knows what time it is.

TRANSITION
“I CAN’T DO THIS.”
“I’M DONE.”
“I WANT TO GO HOME.”

Doula translation: Ohhhh, we’re getting somewhere. 😂
Dad looks at me. I look at Dad. Sir, DO NOT SPEAK.
Just keep squeezing.

PUSHING
Mom suddenly develops enough strength to move a Honda Odyssey with her bare hands.

“IS THE BABY COMING?!”
“Yes!”
“YOU SAID THAT 20 MINUTES AGO!”
Fair. 😂

C-SECTION MAMAS
You also clocked in for Labour Day.
You walked into an OR, got numb from the chest down, stayed awake while a whole medical team casually discussed their weekend plans while performing MAJOR ABDOMINAL SURGERY…

and then heard:

“Here’s your baby!”

Ma’am. 🫡

And some of you did ALL OF THE ABOVE FIRST and THEN had a C-section. That is not overtime. That is a DOUBLE SHIFT.

So Happy Labour Day to every mama who has laboured, pushed, breathed, moaned, puked, prayed, squeezed someone’s hand into another dimension, or bravely walked into an operating room to meet her baby.

You clocked in. You did the work. And somehow you left your shift with an entire human. 😂

Happy Labour Day, Mamas. 🤍

09/04/2026

There’s something so beautiful about the art of Rebozo.

Rebozo bodywork during pregnancy is gentle, intentional work designed to help create more softness, mobility, relaxation, and balance in the pregnant body.

Through different movements, releases, and techniques, I use the Rebozo to:

• Encourage relaxation and release tension
• Support comfort through the hips, pelvis, back, and surrounding tissues
• Encourage freedom of movement and mobility in the pelvis
• Support baby in finding their own optimal position
• Help you connect with your body as you prepare for labour
• Practice movements and techniques that can also be used during birth

Birth preparation isn’t about forcing your body or your baby into the “perfect” position. It’s about creating space, movement, softness, and trust as your body gets ready to birth.

I offer Rebozo appointments throughout pregnancy, with sessions becoming especially helpful as we get closer to birth. Each appointment is tailored to what your body needs that day and can include Rebozo work, positioning, stretches, releases, and practical tools you can take home with you.

You don’t have to be one of my birth doula clients to book.

If you’re pregnant and want to intentionally prepare your body for birth, send me a message to book your Rebozo appointment.

Your body is preparing for birth. Let’s support it along the way.

Imagine giving birth in a hospital, but your labour room feels like this…You look around and see familiar faces, people ...
09/02/2026

Imagine giving birth in a hospital, but your labour room feels like this…

You look around and see familiar faces, people you recognize, trust, and feel safe with. You take one contraction at a time. Soothing music plays softly in the background. Your husband’s steady hand rests firmly on your shoulder, reminding you that you are safe.

You take a deep breath. Your body softens. You feel yourself opening. You are safe. You let go. And then… you meet your baby. 🤍

Postpartum is a sacred season of healing, bonding, resting, and becoming. Setting boundaries isn’t about shutting people...
09/01/2026

Postpartum is a sacred season of healing, bonding, resting, and becoming.

Setting boundaries isn’t about shutting people out, it’s about protecting the space your growing family needs.

Save this post and talk through these questions with your partner tonight!

Unpopular opinion in the birth world: “You don’t need to do anything. Your baby will find their way.”I believe there’s t...
08/31/2026

Unpopular opinion in the birth world: “You don’t need to do anything. Your baby will find their way.”

I believe there’s truth in that, babies are incredibly capable, and birth is physiological. But I also believe preparation matters.

We carry tension and restrictions in our bodies from everyday life. Then labour begins, and we’re asking the pelvis to move, the pelvic floor to release, and baby to rotate and descend all while coping with contractions.

This is why I’m such a big believer in preparing the body during pregnancy: pelvic floor physiotherapy, chiropractic care, rebozo work, acupuncture, intentional movement, bodywork and learning birth mechanics.

Does preparation guarantee an easy birth? Absolutely not.

But preparation isn’t about controlling birth. It’s about creating space, mobility and opportunity for your body and baby to work together.

Babies know how to find their way but I believe we can help prepare the path. 🤍

Today, I’m 32! 💗 I want to share the story of my own birth, as told by my mother.On August 25, 1994, my mom went to the ...
08/26/2026

Today, I’m 32! 💗 I want to share the story of my own birth, as told by my mother.

On August 25, 1994, my mom went to the maternity ward at Abrantes Hospital to check on her baby. She was only 22 years old and didn’t know much about childbirth or what to expect. The doctor told her she was already two centimetres dilated and suggested inducing labour because He was on call today. She was young, trusted his advice, and simply said, “Okay, let’s do it.” In the back of her mind, she had a gut feeling that this was not the right choice, she had a 3h labour with her first baby and delivered her breech. She knew she had fast labours.

After about 10 intense and painful hours of labour, I was born at two o’clock in the morning on August 26. I was only 36 weeks, but thankfully I was healthy, weighing 6lb6. My mom was sore and exhausted, but she had her healthy baby girl in her arms, and that was what mattered most to her. Every time she tells me my birth story, she says…”I shouldn’t have said yes. I just didn’t know better.”

Thirty-two years later, I look at this story through very different eyes.

I wonder why labour was induced simply because it was convenient for the doctor especially when I was only 36 weeks and there was no medical concern that she knew of. My mom didn’t feel that she had a choice because she wasn’t told she had one. She trusted her doctor, as most young mothers would.

This is one of the reasons I care so deeply about educating mothers today. The young woman who walked into the hospital without knowing her choices became my mother. And the baby who was brought into the world that night grew up to become a doula, someone who now spends her life helping other mothers feel informed, supported, respected, and heard. I believe God can use every part of our story! Perhaps this was always part of His plan for mine: to serve women, to protect the sacredness of birth, and remind mothers that their voices matter! This new year, I pray that may continue to love on my Mamas and their families! May God keep me healthy so I can continue to wear all my hats! To God be the Glory, always! 💗🎉🎂🥳

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Red Deer, AB

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